Tilting chair



Oct. 10, 1944. H. w. BoLENs, 2,359,966

TILTINGV CHAIR Filed Aug. 5,v 1940 f//f///g@ INVENToR i /ws/ )M ozfA/s.BY Q,MA

' ATTORNEY.

Patented OcL 10, 1944 TILTING CHAIR Harry W. Bolens, Port Washington,Wis., assigunor, by mesne assignments, to Automatic Products Company,Milwaukee, Wis., a corporation of Wisconsin Application August 3, 19470,Serial No. 350,310

3 Claims.

This invention relates to an improvement in tilting chairs, and moreparticularly to an improvement in the base of such chairs and in thechair iron which supports the seat on the base for tilting movement.

An object of the invention is to provide a chair iron for tilting chairsof the type having a tension screw and nut for varying the compressionof the springs to resist backward tilting movement of the chair, andwherein the connection between the screw and the head provided at theupper end of the spindle is improved and strengthened so as to avoidbreak age and provide a construction which will stand up and operateeliciently over a long period of time.

A further object of the invention is to provide a chair iron having theadvantages and capacities mentioned, and which may be embodied indiierent types of constructions designed and adapted for use by personsof diierent weights.

Other objects and advantages reside in certain novel features of theconstruction, arrangement, and combination of parts, which will behereinafter more fully described and particularly pointed out in theappended claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawing forminga part of this specication, and in which:

Figure 1 is a view in top plan showing a chair iron embodying thepresent invention;

Figure 2 is a view thereof partly in central, vertical, longitudinalcross section and partly in side elevation;

Figure 3 is a View in end elevation looking toward the right hand sideof Figure 2 and with parts broken away and shown in section for the sakeof illustration;

Figure 4 is a fragmentary view similar to Figure 2 showing a modifiedform of the invention;

Figure 5 is a fragmentary View in top plan of the structure shown inFigure 4.

Referring to th'e drawing, and more particularly to Figure 2, it will beseen that the chair comprises generally a metal base or hub to whichlegs 2 are connected. The hub also supports the spindle 3 of a chair. Achair iron, designated generally at 4, is mounted on the upper end ofthe spindle and it provides a support for the seat 5 of the chair.

In the assembly the spindle 3 extends into the hub A nut is threaded onthe spindle and engages the top of the hub. The adjustment of the nutdetermines the height of the seat.

The usual hand wheel 2| and screw 22 are combined with the nut l and theflange formation l at the upper end of the hub in the conventionalmanner.

A head 25 is provided and consists of a U- shaped piece of heavy gaugesheet metal having its body portion formed with an opening through whichthe smooth upper end portion of the spindie projects. The body bears onthe shoulder presented at the juncture of the threaded and smoothportions of the spindle. The side plates 2l of the head are connected bya cross-piece 2S which has lugs 29 at its ends engaging the innersurfaces of the side plates of the head and are riveted thereto. Thecentral portion of this cross-piece is formed with an'opening receivingthe extreme upper end of the spindle. The top of the spindle is upset orstaked over into permanent and rigid connection with the crosspiece 23.A spider, designated generally at 30, is pivotally supported on the head25. The spider comprises a pair of transversely spaced, longitudinallyextending spider arms 3|, the ends of which are apertured to adapt themto be secured by means of screws 32 to the under side of the seat 5 ofthe chair. Intermediate their ends the arms 3| of th'e spider areinterconnected by means of a sheet metal yoke or frame, designated at33. The yoke 33 has side plates 34 vertically disposed and parallel toeach other. These side members 34 are riveted, as at 35, or otherwisesuitably secured to the spider arms 3|. These side members of the yoke33 are cross connected by the integral cross-piece 35. The spider armsand their yokes are pivotally supported to the unit on the head by meansofa pivot pin 31.

For th'e purpose of yieldably resisting rear ward tilting of the chairand seat, and normally biasing it to a horizontal position, one or moresprings 4E) are provided. In the construction illustrateds two springsare shown, but of course only one may be employed if desired. One end ofeach spring 40 bears against the cross member 36 of the yoke 33. Theouter end of each spring is engaged in the spring seat provided in anadjustable abutment or cross-head 4|. A tension rod 42 extends through acentral opening in the cross-head, and its outer end is threaded and isengaged by a hand nut 43 which bears against the cross-head 4| and theinner end of the tension rod is headed and'is engaged with the yoke 44of U-shaped form. The arms of this yoke straddle the upper portion ofthe spindle and are pivotally interconnected therewith by means of across-pin 45 supported centrally in a transverse opening in the upperportion of the spindle and supported at its ends in the side members ofthe head. This manner of interconnecting the tension rod with the chairiron is specially advantageous since the pin to which the yoke of thetension rod is connected is supported at three points, and the force isapplied close up to the portion of the cross-pin which is rigidlysecured to the spindle.

Consequently, the force applied to the cross-pinV acts through minimumleverage. Such a construction will stand long usage with' little wearand will not be liable to break.

In some constructions it is necessary to have the hinge-pin combinedwith its head at a point forwardly of the center of the head, and insuch instances instead of utilizing an extension in the spindle to aidin the support of the cross-pin connecting the tension rod, yoke, andhead, a separate post 50 is combined with the head, as illustrated inFigures 4 and 5. In such instances the cross-piece corresponding to thecross-piece 28, designated at 5 l, must be somewhat longer and beprovided with two openings to accommodate both the post and the spindle.

While I have shown and described several constructions in which theinvention may be advantageously embodied, it is to be understood thatthe constructions shown have been selected merely for the purpose ofillustration or example, and that various changes in the size, shape,and arrangement of the parts may be made without departing from thespirit of the invention or the scope of the subjoined claims.

I claim:

1. A chair iron of the character described comprising a spindle, aU-shaped head-piece supported on the upper end of the spindle, thespindle projecting up through the body plate of the head-piece and inbetween the side plates thereof, a cross-piece extending between andsecured at its ends to the side plates of the headpiece adjacent theupper ends thereof, said crosspiece having an opening in which the upperend of the spindle is tted and secured, a spider having a U-shaped yokestraddling and pivotally supported on the head-piece, a spring havingits inn-er end abutting the body plate of said yoke, an abutment for theouter end of the spring, said abutment having an opening therethrough,an adjusting rod having its outer end threaded and extending looselythrough said opening, a hand nut threaded on the outer end of the rodand bearing against the abutment, a yoke connected to the inner end ofthe rod and straddling the portion of the spindle located between thebody plate of the head-piece and the cross-piece, said last-named yoke,said spindle, and the side plates of the head-piece having transverselyalined openings therein, and a ulcrum pin for the yoke extending throughsaid openings and snugly tted therein so as to be supported by thespindle and the side plates of the head piece, the side members of theyoke engaging the pin closely adjacent the i spindle so that the forcesapplied from the yoke to the spring act through a minimum lever arm.

2. A chair iron of the character described comprising a spindle, ahead-piece supported on the upper end of the spindle, said spindleprojecting up into the head-piece, a spider having a yoke pivotallysupported on the head-piece, a spring having its inner end bearingagainst the yoke, an enlarged opening in said yoke, an adjustableabutment engaging the outer end of the spring, an opening in saidabutment, a tensioning rod having its outer end threaded and extendingloosely through said openings, a hand nut threaded on the outer end ofthe tensioning rod and bearing against the abutment, a yoke connected tothe inner end of the rod and straddling the portion of the spindleprojecting into the head-piece, and a pivot pin for the yoke supporteddirectly on the head-piece and directly on the spindle.

3. A chair iron comprising a spindle, a vertically disposed U-shapedhead-piece having its horizontal body plate formed with an openingthrough which the upper end portion of the spindle projects, across-piece extending between and secured to the vertical side plates ofthe headpiece adjacent their upper ends and having an opening in whichthe extreme upper end of the spindle is fitted and secured, a spiderhaving a horizontally disposed U-shaped yoke straddling the head-pieceand pivotally supported thereon, a pair of springs having their innerends bearing against the body plate of said yoke, an enlarged opening insaid body plate, a cross-head having spring seats engaged with the outerends of said springs, said cross-head having an opening intermediatesaid spring seats, an adjusting rod having its outer end threaded andextending loosely through said openings, a hand nut threaded on theouter end of said rod and bearing against said cross-head, the inner endof said rod being headed, a yoke engaged with the headed end of the rodand having its side members straddling and closely adjacent the portionof the spindle disposed between the body plate of the head-piece andcross-piece, and a pin pivotally interconnected with the side members ofsaid last-named yoke and supported directly on the spindle and directlyon the side plates of the head-piece.

HARRY W. BOLENS.

